Gaza perfume named after Hamas rocket, inspired by Palestinian 'victory'

By Kareem Khadder, Nick Thompson and Tim Hume, CNN

Updated 1620 GMT (0020 HKT) December 12, 2012

Perfume named for Hamas rocket4 photos

An employee of the 'Stay Stylish' shop in Gaza City displays a bottle of M75 perfume -- named after the long-range rocket used by Hamas in the recent conflict with Israel.

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Perfume named for Hamas rocket4 photos

The perfume comes in different versions for men and women, and is marketed with the slogan: "Whoever loves victory, happiness and dignity, loves the M75 perfume."

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Perfume named for Hamas rocket4 photos

The M75, named for one of Hamas' founders and the rocket's designed range of 75 kilometers, has been a proud symbol of military strength for Hamas.

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Perfume named for Hamas rocket4 photos

The M75 featured prominently in recent celebrations to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of militant group.

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Story highlights

A Gaza company has launched a perfume named after Hamas' M75 rockets

Its slogan is 'Whoever loves victory, happiness and dignity, loves the M75 perfume'

The rocket, built with Iranian advice, is a symbol of pride for many in Gaza

Perfumes are typically named for flowers, jewels, seasons or feelings -- not long-range missiles.

But residents of Gaza can now buy a fragrance inspired by the rockets used in Hamas' recent conflict with Israel.

Gaza company Stay Stylish is behind the perfume, called M75.

"We have a marketing slogan which is 'Whoever loves victory, happiness and dignity, loves the M75 perfume,'" the company's marketing director, who wished to be identified only as Shadi, told CNN at the Stay Stylish store in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood.

"M75 in Gaza means a period of happiness, or the feeling of victory, and the use of the perfume is an expression of happiness as well."

The M75 was one of the long-range missiles militants in Gaza fired at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during the conflict last month, which ended after eight days with a cease-fire on November 21.

Although the conflict resulted in the deaths of many more Palestinians than Israelis, Hamas' leader Khaled Meshaal claimed victory for his organization, saying Hamas had forced Israel to accept their terms.

Many Gazans took to the streets to celebrate what they saw as a victory over the Israeli military.

Shadi told CNN the "victory" provided an ideal marketing opportunity.

He said the rocket was a local symbol of pride, used in much the same way a Parisian company might use an image of the Eiffel Tower to market their perfume.

"In our case, it was the victory of the Palestinians that will make a profit for our company," he said.

Although the rocket was essentially a reproduction of Iranian technology, Hamas had branded the rocket a Palestinian achievement to project an image of self-dependence and military strength.

"By claiming to have produced the M75 itself, Hamas is arguably trying to present itself as a force capable of producing its own weapons and not relying only on foreign powers as suppliers," he said.

The commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards has publicly acknowledged supplying Hamas with the knowledge to develop the M75, a version of Iran's Fajr missiles.

Shadi said the perfume came in male and female versions, with the male scent containing notes of citrus, vanilla and sandalwood, and the women's version smelling of rose, basil and jasmine.

Both were selling well, he said. "Thank God the Palestinian people are proud of the number 75."

M75 is not the first fragrance to have been inspired by a conflict with Israel. Following the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Lebanon's Daily Star reported bottles of a scent called "Resistance" were being sold in southern Beirut, packaged with an image of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and a representation of a damaged Israeli warship.